Pousada in Marao
Pousada in Marao - Hotel Sao Goncalo
Situated on the Marao Mountain range and about 20 kilometres from Amarante and Vila Real in Portugal, the Pousada do Marao provides delightful hotel accommodation and magnificent views of the mountains and Tamega valley.
Guests staying at the Pousada should take the opportunity to visit the Palace of Mateus.
This beautiful house is the home of the Earl of Vila Real. 
The picture of the house became famous worldwide by appearing on every bottle of Mateus Rose - it is believed a payment of 1 escudo was received per picture.
The adventurous might like to take an early morning bus to Amarante and then the train for the twelve kilometre trip down the Tamega River valley to Livracao.
Here you might want to change to the main line for the journey along the Douro to Regua.
Yet another train, this time narrow gauge, takes you up the River Corgo to Vila Real where you catch the Amarante bus back to the Pousada. One of the most interesting train journeys in Europe.
In spring the hills are covered with yellow flowering broom.
I stayed in this Pousada last month and luckily it snowed for a couple of days. Although this was not good news to local working inhabitants I had a lot of fun. The landscape became something you only see in postcards.